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Trendwatch: Health Goth

by Juliette Tafreschi — September 09, 2014

Have you lately stumbled across the term ‘health goth’? If yes you’re probably a real trend follower who is also familiar with other micro trends that are buzzing around the World Wide Web. If not, here is a brief explanation: Health Goth followers are in love with monochromatic looks and the non-color combination black and white. Their aesthetic preferences focus on performance sportswear, combat gear and sports equipment. Given that all these gadgets wouldn’t look great on a fat body and because the term ‘health’ must relate somehow, health goth people also idealize a perfectly fit body.

And who invented the term? If you try to look up the keyword on google, the first hit will bring up the Facebook page ‘Health Goth’ with currently more than 4,500 followers. Mike Grabarek and Jeremy Scott, a music duo from Portland, founded the site in October 2013. And even if 4,500 followers don’t seem like a lot nowadays, their Facebook page already drew the attention of some fashion editors lately with the result that the duo held an interview with Complex.com explaining what the community is all about. Brands who are being highly discussed in the health goth community at the moment are big sportswear brands like Nike and Adidas but also smaller labels like D.T.T.K, Cottweiler, Whatever 21 and Adyn.

But why is this all important? And who cares about Health Goth in today’s world, where micro trends pop up online in the blink of an eye? Here comes the interesting part: the Health Goth movement is another proof of how important sportswear has become in the last couple of seasons and how sportswear aesthetics are being implemented in ready-to-wear collections and in the consumers’ minds. Everybody gasped when Hood by Air designer Shayne Oliver debuted with his first fashion show back in 2013.

Through the street/ghetto goth style, a mix of ‘80s and ‘90s urban wear, ‘90s grunge layering became popular and stars like Rihanna made the look commercial. And, although the Health Goth style propagates a much cleaner and more technical driven look, in the end it is ‘all about sportswear!’ again.